Revolver-lock.



- Patented Sept. 2, I902. J. H. WESSON.

REVOLVER LOCK. (Application filed Mar. 15, 19

(No Model.)

iJNtTED STATES PATENT OFFIC JOSEPH H. \VESSON, OF SPRINGFIELD,MASSACHUSETTS.

REVOLVER-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 708,437, datedSeptember 2, 1902. Application filed March 15, 1901. Serial No. 61,872.\No model.) 7

To allwhom it may concern:

Be it known. that I, JOSEPH H. WESSON, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Springfield, in the county of Hampden and State ofMassachusettsghave invented new and useful Improvements in Firearms, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to revolvers, and particularly to. means for,withdrawing'the nose of the hammer from contact with the primer afterfiring the arm, and is in the nature of an improvementon theconstruction forming the subject-matter of my United States LettersPatent, dated August 14, 190O, N0. 655,844.

The drawings forming part of this specification consist of Figure l,which shows an enlarged sectional elevation of a revolver embodying myinvention, shorting the hammer forced back from contactwith the primerof a cartridge. Fig. 2is a similar viewto Fig.

1, showing the position of the parts at the fall of the hammer beforepressure on the trigger is released.

It is to be understood thatthese improvements apply more particularly torevolvers of the self-cocking type.

' In my said patent of August 14,1900, means are provided for efiectingthe rebound of the hammer by means of a peculiar connection between themainsprin g and the hammer and for locking the hammerin a reboundedposition by means of a safety-stop actuated by the release of pressureon the trigger.

The object of this invention is to provide a construction whereby theoperation of the safety-catch for the hammer, as described in 'my saidprior patient, will eifect the withdrawal of the nose of the hammer fromcontact with the cartridge-shell positively, the rebounding devicesdescribed in my said patent being done away with. These improve mentsresult in a simplification of the construction of the arm. a

In carrying my invention into practice the hammer a, is hung in theusual mannerin the frame I) and isprovided with a mainspring c,

supported, as usual, in'the frame at one end and connected with thehammer at its other end by means of a stirrup d, pivotally supported inthe-hammer, in which it may have a free swinging movement. Thetrigger eis pivotally supported in the frame in such po- I sition as to properlyengage the hammer in the usual way in arms of the self-cocking type. Onthe trigger the hand f is pivoted, on which the free end of atrigger-spring g bears, said spring, as described in my'prior patent,serving the double purpose of a trigger-spring and a spring for the handto hold the latter in operative position relative to the ratchet on theend of the cylinder. This trigger-springg lies close beside the lowerend of the hammer, on the lower extremity of which is pivotallysupported the'safetycatch h for the hammer. Inthe-side of thissafetycatch is a pin 1, which projects out under the trigger-spring gThemear end of the safetycatch is more or less'rearwardlybevcled and isadapted when pressed downward by the action of the spring g on the pint' to bear against a similarly-be eled projection on the frame of thearm. When the hammer is in the position shown in Fig. I and thesafety-catch is in engagement withthe projection j, it willbe seen thatthe swing of the hammer to the rearwill cause the rear end of thesafety-catch to be forced upwardly toward the hammer by the con'tactofsaid rear end with the plane. This movement serves to raise the rear endof the catch far enoughso that as the hammer falls the catch will notstrike said projection. Ob-

viouslyit is also necessary that the rear end of the catch should notfall by gravity when the hammer is in its cocked position, and to thatend said catch is supported on the hammer in a mannerwhich provides formeans of holding the rear end. of the catch in the elevated positionshown in Fig. 2, as described in my said prior patent,but which permitsthe depression thereof by the contact of the trigger-spring when thetrigger is released.

Referring to Fig. 2, it will be seen that when the hammer falls the rearis in such position relative to the projection j on the frame that whenthe trigger is released and the spring g forces said safetycatchdownward the lower end of the inclined portion of thesafety-catch willstrike the upper end of the inclined face of the projection, and thetrigger-spring g in forcing the safetyend of the catch h catch down tothe position shown in Fig. 1, as

it does when the trigger is released, must forcibly swing the upperendof the hammerrean wardly to the position shown, thereby producing thesame effect as is attained byareboundin'g-of the hammer through thecooperation of the mainspringthat is, the rear end of catch it in movingdown the inclined face of projection jacts as a cam-lever,and theinclined face of projection j acts as acam to force'the lower furtherfunction asasafety-catch for the hamrection of the cylinder. may belocated in the frame in such position mer in its rebounded orpartially-retracted position, as described in my patent hereinbeforereferred to. The degree of inclination of the abutting surfaces of thecatch and the projectionj while ample for the purpose of retracting thenose of the hammeris not sufficiently great to permit the separationthereof against the force of the trigger-spring by any power which mightbe applied to the upper end of the hammer to force it in the di- Ifdesired, a pin k as to arrest the movement of the mainspring c at aninstant before the nose of the hammer strikesa cartridge. This wouldpermit a very slight separation of the stirrup and the mainspring, asshown in Fig. 2-that is to say, it would leave the hammer free to swingon its pivotand therefore the safety-catch would operate to retract theupper end of the hammer nearly to the full extent of its retractingmovement, free from the counteracting influence of the mainspring, whichwould come in contact with the stirrup only at the end of the rearwardmovement of the hammer. It is found in practice, however, that this pinin is not an essential element, though under certain conditions it wouldbe desirable.

It is seen from the above description that the present construction is agreat improvementover the construction shown in my priorpatent in thatit not only provides for the positive retraction of the hammer, but alsoin that it does away'with a nice adjustment of the parts necessitated bythe construction 1. In a firearm,'a pivoted hammer, a maiuspringconnected to said hammer and tending to throw it forward, a safety-catchpivoted to the hammer, an incline on the frame against which-saidsafety-catch hears with cam action to rebound the hammer, and springacting on said catch to force it along the incline, all

combined. I

2. In a firearm the combination of a pivoted hammer, a mainspringconnected to the harm mer to throw it forward, a safety-catch pivoted tothe hammer, an incline on the frame with which said Isafetycatch engagesin certain positions as described, said incline acting as a cam to forcehack the hammer against the pressure of tee Inainspring. 3. In a firearmthe combination of a hammer, a mainspring acting on the same to force itto striking position, a safetymaich pivoted to the hammer, a cam orincline in the frame with which said safety-catch makes contact incertain positions, and the triggeaspringeugaging said catch to force italong the incline, thereby rebounding the hammer.

a. In a firearm, the combination of a haminer and mainspring asafety-catch pivoted to the hammer, an incline in the frame againstwhich the free end of the catch bears in certain relations, andautomatic means operat ing. to force said catch along the incline,thereby rebounding the hammer.

WM. H. CHAPIN, K. I. CLEMONS.

